Naked, Topless Doorless Gladiator Poll

[Pat Witt]

I try to get her top off about the time the shorts come out for the season and then there has to be a good reason to put her back together

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[Pat Witt]

S.E. Michigan here. “Naked” from Memorial Day to Labor Day. May pull off the Freedom Panels a couple/few times before/after.
Self-ordered 2022… first Jeep, but certainly not at all new to 4x4 trucks. Not a Rock Crawler or Overlander, but sand dunes and high(er) speed trails are my thing.

Love the look I can't hardly wait

 

[DanW]

Naked means no top and no doors.
Topless means no top but doors on.
No Doors means doors off but top on.
And unique to modern Wranglers and Gladiators,
Freedom Panels off but top and doors on.

Other variations such as
Freedom Panels only, top and doors off,
please elucidate in the reply,
(as if I could stop you).

As for me, I have had a '98 Wrangler in the garage
since 2014 that stays naked almost all the time.
A luxury because I also have a truck.

Regarding my Gladiator, the Freedom Panels
were removed once briefly
to view a solar eclipse
in the path of totality.

So I am wondering,
is the original attraction of Jeeps,
that feeling of freedom,
the wind in your hair,
the sun on your skin,
merely a fantasy,
a bygone dream.

How about hard top with Sunrider for Hard top? I have that open every chance I get.

I also have a JL Wrangler. I have the doors off pretty much all summer and the soft top open or down in the early morning and evenings.

 

[PBCounty]

Front doors rarely off, rear never off, and Sunrider open for probably 50% of all miles.

 

[Volt0]

Need more options listed:

• Tube doors
• Covered tube doors
• Half doors
• Soft doors
• Bestop
• Front sunshade
• Full sunshade
• Windshield down

Doors on with Ts/HardTop off looks weird, but rides really nice on those Sunday drives through wine country. Surprisingly, this combination has a lower amount of wind buffeting/noise than some of the other options.

We tend to like options, maybe with one JT fully naked, and the other partially naked. I te d to ride like @OffAxis2021, but with the hard top on, potentially with a bestop on the top-front to help reduce sun/wind; then we flip the top back anytime we’re below 30mph or so.

On some of those spring/fall days, our ideal situation would be naked at the destination but closed-up for the trip. I just haven’t seen good door options where I would feel comfortable putting ( truck ) body parts into the bed of the truck. If I saw soft doors that sealed well, I might entertain them.

On a side note, has anyone found away to reduce the wind buffeting/noise when just the T-tops are off? I thought I read where something like pool-noodle-cutouts between the top of the door and the roll bar really helped, but I haven’t tried that yet.

 

[Gvsukids]

Who makes an electric soft top for the JT? I bet it’s pricey, but that would be sweet.

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/new-soft-top-that-folds-down-into-the-bed.53541/

 

[WILDHOBO]

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/new-soft-top-that-folds-down-into-the-bed.53541/

I dot see it for the gladiator. But I’ll check again.

 

[WILDHOBO]

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/new-soft-top-that-folds-down-into-the-bed.53541/

I looked again. If it used to be there, I think they pulled it. Just showing bronco and wrangler.

 

[Mud Pie]

For me, the reason I don't drop the top or the doors more often, is Jeep made it more step intensive, especially with a full hard top. My old Willys M38A1 made pulling the top, side curtains AND doors a breeze. And the doors totally collapsed to sit behind the rear jump seat !! Side curtains rolled up and strapped to rear fender wells.

With this hard-topped Gladiator, it takes 2+ people (unless you buy a rig) AND you have to find a place to store the huge heavy sonovagun !! I can't use a rig (two car garage, one side has a not-running 1953 CJ-3A, the other a 2005 Ural Gear Up (side car rig) on a trailer. No place for a rig OR room to store the panels/doors/top.

Oh sure, I can pull the trailer/motorcycle out, pull it into the street, back the Gladiator in, use a rig to pull the top, store the doors and panels, pull out the Gladiator, put the trailer back in the driveway, then go for a ride.

When I get home, repeat.

I told my wife I may buy a soft top, make the Gladiator more "Jeep-ish" in ease of dropping the top.

I have the Freedom Panel storage bag, so I do pull both panels and bag 'em and lay them in the bed. Solid tri-fold tonneau keeps them out of view to lookie-loo's. And if it rains, I got 'em !!

In my case, it's not the loss of novelty, it's the lack of convenience.

 

[Falcor]

When I had my last jeep the top was off as much as possible. Typically it was safari style with the top on, sides and back out with no doors.

 

[Wmkresse]

we have found we like the roof on and doors of the best. It keeps the NC sun off our head but when I have the doors on I’ll keep the sunrider open as much as the wife can stand it.

 

[Y-Guy]

It varies year to year, but since 2013 I've usually gone doorless/topless in May-September, tossing either door/top on for some out of town trips.

 

[Supazuk]

I have a factory dual door group so i am top down half doors all summer. Its not an option and the doors are fully off when i can so its a weird option

 

[danimal2000]

On a side note, has anyone found away to reduce the wind buffeting/noise when just the T-tops are off? I thought I read where something like pool-noodle-cutouts between the top of the door and the roll bar really helped, but I haven’t tried that yet.

I've found opening the rear slider helps, works better than just side windows open

I usually have sunrider on though if the season is right, different kinds of noise and flapping

 

[Orange01z28]

It's too hot here to have the roof off in the summer, and the mornings are so frigid this time of year I usually only have the roof off in September and October and March and April. I usually leave the doors on unless I"m going wheeling in those same months

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